Liam Messam (left) and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi at Māori All Blacks training session for the Lions tour. Photo / Stephen Parker
Liam Messam (left) and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi at Māori All Blacks training session for the Lions tour. Photo / Stephen Parker
After what was an uncertain start to the season due to Covid-19 and the lockdown, club rugby came out in full blast.
The shortened season saw a lot of old faces and unexpected names turn up in the Waikato club lineups and on the pitch.
This Waikato club rugby XV is made up firstly of evergreen and well-known players who were named in club teams or took the field during the 2020 season. The other players have represented Waikato or other Mitre 10 Cup provinces.
These players may have played in Premier, Premier B, Division 1, Division 1B or Division 2 teams.
They have been named in positions they have played before, although some played out of their usual positions for clubs - e.g. Liam Messam played centre for Raglan and Keith Lowen played first five-eighth for Pirongia.
Fraser Tech had the help of former All Black Carl Hoeft and former Fiji captain Greg Smith within their coaching team. Carlos Spencer was on the coaching staff for Melville and Marty Holah helped coach Hamilton Marist.
2020 Waikato club rugby results:
Premier Division - Winners were Hautapu after beating Ōtorohanga 37-33. Division 2 - Winners were Hamilton Old Boys Guzzlers beating Raglan 15-14. Women's Premiership - Winners were Melville beating Hamilton Old Boys 19-10.
BORN: 1995 REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: TARANAKI 2015-2019, NEW ZEALAND UNDER 20 2015, HURRICANES 2016-2017, MĀORI ALL BLACKS 2017-2019, CHIEFS 2018-2020, ALL BLACKS 2018, BAY OF PLENTY 2020
All Black halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, during the All Blacks team training session at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland. Photo / File
10. BRENDON MCCULLUM – UNITED MATAMATA SPORTS B
BORN: 1981 REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: SOUTH ISLAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS 2000, BLACKCAPS 2002-2016 (CRICKET)
Former New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum playing first five-eighth for United Matamata Sports B against Ōtorohanga B in 2020. Photo / Lorraine Fox
Patrick Osborne (left) and Tawera Kerr-Barlow during All Blacks training 2014 at the the University Oval, Dunedin. Photo / File
12. CARLOS SPENCER – MELVILLE
BORN: 1975 REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: HOROWHENUA-KAPITI 1992-1993, AUCKLAND 1994-2004, MĀORI ALL BLACKS 1994-2005, NEW ZEALAND UNDER 21 1995, BLUES 1996-2005, ALL BLACKS 1995-2004, NEW ZEALAND A 1999, LIONS 2010
Full Time at Collins Road
Morrinsville Sports 29
Melville 29
With Carlos Spencer taking the field for Melville!!!
BORN: 1974 REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS: BAY OF PLENTY 1996, WAIKATO 1998-2005, BLUES 1999, CHIEFS 2000-2005, ALL BLACKS 2002, CHEETAHS 2006
One-test All Black Keith Lowen came off the bench for Pirongia agaiinst Te Rapa on their sponsors' day at Pirongia Domain on August 8, 2020. Photo / Jesse Wood
All Black sevens player Jordan Bunce in action during the match against the Australian sevens at the Rotorua International Stadium in 2015. Photo / File
